


More Coffee, Less Coffee

by ofEmeraldStars



Series: Saphael - Human AUs [2]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Human, First Kiss, Fluff, Human AU, M/M, cute café date, im also bad at titles i apologize, this is a sequel!, this is so cheesy and fluffy omg
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-24
Updated: 2016-11-24
Packaged: 2018-09-01 20:34:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8637190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ofEmeraldStars/pseuds/ofEmeraldStars
Summary: [07:42pm]SOS emergency help …---…[07:43pm]Did you just send SOS in Morse code??[07:43pm]it’s an emergency Fray!!!!![07:44pm]I gathered as much. What kind of emergency are we talking about here?[07:46pm]the kind where idk what to text a cute guy kind of emergency[07:47pm]Are we talking about the one you eavesdropped on and then he asked you out on a date?
Sequel to "Coffee & Spanish"





	

**Author's Note:**

> You could read this without reading the first part, there are just a few mentions of it, but why not read some more cute Saphael? :D

Simon didn’t know how much time has passed after Raphael left and he plopped back down onto his chair. All he knows is that after a few minutes, maybe, of staring into space with a grin on his face he remembered that his phone buzzed after they exchanged phone numbers. While hurrying to unlock the phone, almost dropping it in the process, Simon finally managed to open the text app. The text he saw there waiting for him left him feeling all flustered once again and Simon went ahead and added the number in his contacts under ‘ _Raphael’_ before going back to stare at the message.

[02:17pm]  
Hey cutie pie ;) 

That’s how Clary found him, however, many minutes later, completely zoned out with a grin on his face as he stared at the now dark screen of his phone.

“Earth to Simon, anyone in there?” Clary asked with a raised brow once she sat down and got no response from her friend.

“Wha-“ Simon’s head snapped up in confusion until his expression cleared at seeing his friend sit next to him at the small table. “Clary! When did you get here?”

“Just now and are you okay? You were just sitting there staring at your phone which, by the way, wasn’t even turned on.”

“Oh… Yeah, I’m good,” he said his voice softening and he could feel another blush spreading high on his cheeks.

“Oh, now I need to know what happened. Tell me everything,” Clary said, excitement coloring her voice as she leaned forward with a cup of coffee in hand that Simon didn’t even notice until then.

Simon bit his lip and shot one last glance at the dark screen before looking back up at her face, “Well, I might have met someone earlier and we might have exchanged phone numbers.” He could feel his cheeks heat up again, not that the warmth ever truly left.

“Oh, my god! Simon, I’m so happy for you! Who was it, do you know their name? Were they good looking?” Clary shot one question after the other and Simon wondered if maybe she was more excited than he was.

“His name is Raphael and he’s… unbelievably good looking I can’t believe he was actually interested in me. I mean look at me, I’m not exactly bad looking but I wasn’t exactly dressed up for meeting some cute guy in a coffee shop.”

“Oh, please. He should feel honored for having your attention,” she said with a dismissive hand wave. “So, have you guys decided when you’re going to go on a date?”

“Um, no. We just exchanged numbers and-“ Simon turned on his phone and showed her the text, “well, he sent me that after I gave him my number,” he started to whisper for some reason feeling shy all of a sudden.

“I’m so happy for you, Simon,” she said with a large smile looking back up from his phone’s screen, “but if he hurts you I will hurt him,” her voice dropped slightly and Simon gulped and nodded in response.

Clary might be small but she could be terrifying when she wanted to be. The almost murderous look left her face when her eyes flickered to something behind him but before he got the chance to turn and see what she saw, Clary grabbed one of his hands and started speaking again.

“Anyway, the real reason I wanted you to meet me here was cause I wanted to introduce you to someone,” she said with a smile and her eyes drifted to where she looked at before. “Simon this is Izzy,” she let go of his hand and stood up when another person stepped up to their table, “my girlfriend,” Clary said with a shy smile reaching out to grab the other girl’s hand.

“Hello Simon, I think we met earlier when you ordered,” Izzy said with an easy smile holding out the hand that wasn’t currently holding Clary’s.

“Oh!” Simon scrambled to stand up and shake her hand. “Nice to meet you,” he said with a smile before shooting Clary a confused glance because when did this happen?

+++

It was already evening when he got back home after spending most of the day with Clary, and Izzy when she could step away for a moment from making orders. Now that he was alone the day finally caught up on his and he was left with that text message and wondering if he should reply right then or maybe wait for the next day.

Simon was already in bed, his laptop propped up on his lap, some music playing as he stared at his phone screen going over what he could send that didn’t sound too awkward. He started to type a message only to erase it halfway through and once again end up staring at his phone blankly. At this rate, he would never come up with something he would find acceptable to send. This called for drastic measures.

[07:42pm]  
SOS emergency help …---…

[07:43pm]  
Did you just send SOS in Morse code??

[07:43pm]  
it’s an emergency Fray!!!!!

[07:44pm]  
I gathered as much. What kind of emergency are we talking about here?

[07:46pm]  
the kind where idk what to text a cute guy kind of emergency

[07:47pm]  
Are we talking about the one you eavesdropped on and then he asked you out on a date?

[07:49pm]  
YESSSS!!! WE HAVE A WINNER!!

[07:49pm]  
pls help me ;(

[07:52pm]  
Ok ok. You said you gave him your number and he texted you? What did he say again?

[07:53pm]  
hey cutie pie ;)

[07:55pm]  
Oh right! That’s adorable you need to introduce him soon!

[07:56pm]  
which can only happen if I don’t fuck up Fray

[07:58pm]  
Right. Just say something like hey cutie pie to you too only hours later?

[08:00pm]  
that’s so unoriginal DX are u sure you’re an artist???

[08:01pm]  
I paint, Simon. Not write.

[08:02pm]  
yeah, sorry FORGIVE ME please I need your help

[08:05pm]  
Just be yourself, Simon. The more you overthink this, the worse you’ll get and you’ll end up not even liking what you decide on sending. Go clear your mind and when you try to reply again write the first thing that pops up?

[08:06pm]  
alriiiiiight thanks Fray

[08:07pm]  
Good luck, cutie pie ;)

[08:07pm]  
urgh

Now Simon was left by himself and his mind, ready to run wild with ridiculous scenarios. He decided to make himself a bowl of popcorn and watch a movie; maybe the popping sound would be distraction enough and help him decide on what to text back.

His mind drifted off to that afternoon in the little café and how from thinking they were making fun of him it came to exchanging numbers with the promise of a date. That is if he doesn’t mess up the part leading up to the date. Maybe he would just take Clary’s idea and send him that, or not. It didn’t feel right sending something someone else wrote.

With a popcorn bowl in hand, Simon made his way to his room and turned his attention back to his abandoned laptop, looking through his movies selection. When he couldn’t decide on what to watch, seeing Deadpool for the dozenth time didn’t sound too bad. Playing the movie, Simon grabbed a handful of popcorn and sat back on his bed. As he watched the beginning credits his eyes kept drifting to the phone at his side and after the sixth time, not that he counted at all, yup not at all, he reached for it with a huff.

[02:17pm]  
Hey cutie pie ;) 

He stared at the text with a goofy smile for a moment before letting his fingers type freely and pressing sent before he could talk himself out of it again.

[08:21pm]  
so I was thinking we should go for that coffee you promised me, sooner rather than later ;)

After pressing send Simon threw the phone on the bed face down and reached for another handful of popcorn, trying to watch the movie without counting the seconds since he sent the message. It was a difficult task since he kept starting to count only to shake his head and then to start anew as he forgot what number he was on or how much time he didn’t count.

[

 

[Raphael]

 

[reply]

It wasn’t easy but after a couple of minutes, Simon managed to become so emerged into the movie that he forgot all about counting or that he was waiting for a reply. It wasn’t until the familiar chime of a new text brought him back to his earlier dilemma and he scrambled for his phone only to groan in disappointment when he saw that it was a text from Clary.

[08:29pm]  
Did you do it?

[08:30]  
yes I did it and no he didn’t reply

[08:30]  
Yet.

[08:31]  
yeah yeah. was there something else or did you just want to check on me?

[08:31]  
That was it. He will answer, Simon. Don’t worry.

[08:32]  
yeah. I hope he will

[08:32]  
:) Let me know when he does!

[08:33]  
I will ttyl

[08:33]  
Bye Simon!

He loved Clary. He really did in a totally platonic way ever since he got over his crush on her and realized that she was more like a sister than anything else. But sometimes he wished she would stop worrying about him so much and he knew that that was what the check-in was about and he didn’t blame her, Simon could be quite self-deprecating at times.

Once again he threw the phone next to him on the bed and tried to concentrate on the movie once more though what before was an exciting buzz rushing through him, now it was just a slowly growing sense of disappointment. Simon knew it wasn’t that long since texting Raphael but he couldn’t help it. His mind, as much as he wished it didn’t, tended to create the most negative scenarios. Using the movie as a distraction Simon tried to let his mind fill with the amazedness that was Deadpool and not the silent phone lying on the bed next to him.

It wasn’t until his phone announced a text again that he looked away from the screen, a bowl of popcorn almost empty. Simon reached out and picked up his phone. He expected another message from Clary and almost dropped his phone when he sees a reply from Raphael. Dread and excitement fill him on equal parts if that was even possible as he opened the text.

[09:17pm]  
Haha yeah, I’d like that. Is this weekend good for you?

Simon jumped out of bed with an air fist-bump and started dancing around the room before realizing that he needed to reply. With a large smile on his face, he turned on his phone and started replying with shaking fingers.

[09:19pm]  
weekend sounds good to me. saturday?

[09:21pm]  
Saturday sounds great. We could get a coffee and see from there?

[09:22pm]  
sounds like a date ;)

[09:23pm]  
Haha. Well, of course, it’s a date.

[09:24pm]  
just wanted to make sure. maybe you’re just after my organs

And _god_ Simon wanted to slam his head against the wall after he sent that. Couldn’t he pretend to be a regular guy for one simple text conversation?

[09:26pm]  
If I wanted your organs I wouldn’t give you caffeine first, silly. Is 2pm okay? I got some stuff to do in the morning.

He sighed in relief at the reply and thanked all the stars above that he didn’t scare him away. _Yet_ , his brain oh so helpfully provided.

[09:26pm]  
2pm is perfect. at the mortal cafe right?

[09:27pm]  
Yes, unless you have another place in mind?

[09:27pm]  
nope. i guess I will see you in 2 days?

[09:28pm]  
You can bet on it. But don’t think you’re getting rid of me that easy. So, how much did you listen in to our conversation?

An unexpected laugh escaped his lips at that. Somehow the fact that Raphael still wanted to text until they actually met made him feel giddy. Turning down the volume Simon lay down in bed, making himself comfortable, the movie forgotten as he started to write his reply with a smile on his face.

+++

It was finally Saturday and Simon couldn’t have wished for it to come faster. After spending a few hours texting Raphael that night managing to make himself a complete fool, yet he never stopped texting him and Simon was worried of how much he liked him already. After going to sleep that night he wished they would have agreed to meet the next day and Saturday seemed too far away.

They kept on texting the following day, Simon fearing that he would say something that would make Raphael rethink the whole idea of meeting up with him at all. But there it was, Saturday, and their date was still up, which prompted a complete freak out on Simon’s part over what to wear. He was actually surprised he managed to sleep at all with how buzzed he was the previous night and the fact that he was already up at 8am on a Saturday was telling something about how nervous he was about meeting Raphael.

That’s how after 9am, after staring at his closet for a good twenty minutes, Simon started to spam Clary with texts.

[09:12am]  
help me  
please!!!  
SOS  
Fraaaaaaay

Simon knew Clary might not have been up already so he gave her some time to reply and went to make himself something to eat and drink a cup of coffee. That might have been a mistake in his already frazzled state, but he didn’t care. When it was almost an hour later and no reply from his so called best friend he started to text her again.

[09:57am]  
where is a best friend when you need one???  
I’m talking about you Fray  
why are you still asleep  
I NEED HEEEEEELP!! :((((

He sat down at the edge of his bed, leg bouncing freely, as Simon kept looking between his open closet and the phone in his hand. Most of his wardrobe consisted of graphic t-shirts and flannel shirts. He wanted to look good. Simon might not give a damn most of the time of what people think of his clothes, but that was different when he was about to go on a date with a gorgeous guy he has seen in a long time. Celebrities included. Maybe he was a bit biased, but who would blame him? Raphael was beautiful and he kept texting Simon even after pretty much making a fool of himself constantly. He started to regret that coffee and the second serving.

A buzz brought him back to reality and he snapped his attention to his phone, unlocking it.

[10:07am]  
Geez Simon. It’s Saturday! You normally sleep till noon!

[10:08am]  
that’s beside the point fray. I. NEED. YOUR. HELP.

[10:09am]  
What is it this time? Two SOS’s in one week. You ok?

[10:10am]  
today is the date

[10:10am]  
OOOOOHH. That explains everything then. Let me get a cup of coffee and I’ll be at your assistance.

Simon sighed in relief as he typed his reply.

[10:11am]  
hurry

Sighing once again Simon glanced up at his closet and tried to not let himself feel overwhelmed by the depths of it, not that it really was that deep he didn’t have that many clothes, which is why he’s freaking out even more.

It took Clary around fifteen minutes, way too long in Simon’s opinion, to get back to him and since coming over would waste too much time they decided that a Skype video call would be the best solution for his dilemma.

“Alright, so, now that we got out the most likely candidates for your outfit… which one do you like best, Simon?” Clary’s voice streamed from his laptop, her face carefully patient after his earlier freak-out about not having anything to wear.

Simon waved a hand helplessly at his closet where the chosen shirts were hanging. One of which he didn’t even remember owning which made him a bit suspicious as he narrowed his eyes at the piece of fabric.

“Simon? You still there?”

“Yeah, yeah. I don’t know, Clary. What do you think I should wear?” Simon turned his head to look at his laptop that was propped up on his bed so that she had a clear view of his closet.

“I already helped you narrow it down. I want you to choose, not have me dress you up. Don’t you want him to see you as for who you really are?” she asked gently eliciting a groan from Simon.

“If it were up to me I’d just wear my usual stuff, but I want to,” he waved his hand as if he were at a loss for words, which rarely happened with him, “I want to look nice,” he finished lamely.

“There’s nothing wrong with that,” Clary said with a soft smile.

“Okay. So, what about this one?” Simon grabbed a hanger holding a dark blue button up shirt with a small Harry Potter style glasses pattern all over. “With a black t-shirt under?” He held the shirt in front of him as he stared into the mirror before turning to his laptop, and therefore Clary.

“I like it,” she said simply with a nod and a smile. “Wear your darker jeans and you’ll look great! He’s totally going to trip over his own feet when he sees you,” she threw him a grin.

“You mean that I’m the one that will trip over my own feet when I see him,” he huffed and could see Clary shrug on the screen.

“Alright, thanks a lot, Clary. I’ll let you go now and start getting ready soon,” he said and sat down on the bed pulling his laptop in his lap.

“Have fun, Simon! And let me know how it went as soon as you’re home. If you can,” she winked at him and started laughing at his flustered expression closing the video call to avoid Simon’s response.

“Ugh,” he grunted intelligibly and fell back on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. “Maybe I won’t make a complete fool of myself?” he asked the empty room.

+++

With five minutes till the chosen time, Simon walked into the café. Wiping his wet palm on his jeans he let his gaze sweep the room until a familiar face caught his eye and damn, was he looking good. Even better than when they first met. He wished he would have gotten a few more moments to compose himself before walking over but that’s the moment Raphael looked up and directly at him, his lips stretching into a pleased smile.

Simon walked over, nervous as hell that he would somehow mess this up, and he smiled awkwardly as Raphael stood up. There was a moment where they both paused in front of each other as if not knowing what to do next. In the end, it was Raphael who broke the moment and closed the distance to kiss Simon on the cheek, his smile never wavering.

“Simon, glad to see you again.”

“Same,” Simon managed to blurt out before adding, “glad to see you too. Raphael.” Saying his name earned himself a pleased smile from him.

“Sit and tell me what you want to drink. And if you prefer nuts or chocolate.”

“An herbal tea would be great and I like both?”

“Tea?” Raphael’s brow shot up curiously.

“Um, well, I’m already nervous enough I don’t need coffee to add to that,” Simon admitted and wanted to groan. Brain to mouth filter, hello?

“Are you nervous cause of me? ‘Cause you don’t have to be, Simon.” Raphael smiled softly and squeezed his shoulder. “Be right back.”

Simon just nodded in reply and sat down feeling a bit dazed. God, he hoped he didn’t mess up, and as the thought passed his mind again he started to feel like a broken record, ‘cause Raphael seemed like a decent guy that didn’t make fun of him and didn’t tell him to just _relax_.

It didn’t take long for Raphael to come back with two plates, one with what looked to be a chocolate muffin with extra chocolate, Simon might have eyed  that one when he was there earlier that week, and the other plate held two chocolate chip cookies. He sat down in front of Simon and the small table made it so that their knees bumped together.

“I hope you don’t mind if we share?” Raphael suggested indicating to the plates in front of them. “Our drinks will be ready soon.”

“I would love to share.” He smiled shyly and was ready to grab his wallet as he asked, “How much do I owe you?”

“Don’t worry about it. You can pay for our next date if you want to.”

Simon blushed. Oh god, a _next_ date. How did he manage to get this gorgeous man to want more than one date was beyond him.

“That sounds great,” he managed to reply in his daze earning a smile from Raphael.

It didn’t take long for their drinks to be brought to them by Izzy, who threw Simon a wink as she walked away. When he asked Raphael what he got Simon didn’t expect to have the cup held out to him to taste. The taste of rich and sweet caramel hit his tongue with a lingering bitter aftertaste from the coffee. He just wished his blush wasn’t too obvious as he took a short sip from the drink.

The rest of the time they spent talking about college and Raphael’s ‘annoying roommates’ as he liked to call them but Simon could tell from the fondness in his voice that he didn’t really mind their annoying behavior that much. Simon told him about his small apartment that he managed to pay for through his gigs once he saved up enough to be sure he wouldn’t fall behind on payments.

Raphael liked the idea of him being in a band a lot. He leaned in closer over the small table with interested eyes as he asked about what kind of songs they played. Simon told him how Maureen was kind of a tyrant when it came to band practice, but also very nice and hard working, and how they added another person to the band once they were sure they wanted to kick it off, and that they were both glad that they all worked together so well.

Before he knew it their empty cups already dried as they finished their drinks and only crumbles were left on the plates. Raphael broke the muffin in two, then broke off a smaller piece and held it out for Simon to lean forward. Once again Simon’s face heated up when he realized what he wanted him to do and leaning forward Raphael fed him the small piece of pastry with a grin that turned into a soft smile as his fingers touched Simon’s lips. They both laughed at how cheesy that was, making jokes about rom coms and silly dates.

Simon didn’t feel like he wanted the date to end yet and so he suggested going for a walk and when Raphael talked a park not too far away he nodded eagerly. They walked out of the café, jackets on to protect them against the chilly autumn air. Simon waved at Izzy absentmindedly when she called a goodbye at them.

He didn’t really notice it before as he was too nervous, but once he realized that Raphael was slightly shorter than him, Simon couldn’t help the dopey smile that spread across his lips. That earned him a confused chuckle from Raphael as he noticed and then bumped their shoulders together remaining close so that their hands would occasionally brush against each other.

They hit an influx of people as they walked down the street, drawing them closer together until Simon managed to talk himself into grabbing Raphael’s hand. He didn’t realize he was holding his breath until he got a squeeze in return and Raphael lacing their fingers together, that he let out a long, relieved exhale.

The sky started to slowly darken as they walked into the park, orange rays of sunlight shone past the high buildings illuminating the bare trees and giving the park a more autumn air than the winter one it had when the sun was high in the sky. Their conversation slowly dimmed and they simply enjoyed the view and for once, Simon didn’t feel like the silence was uncomfortable and that he needed to fill it with his never-ending chatter, but that simply holding Raphael’s hand and having him walk by his side was enough to keep his mind occupied.

As they reached the top of a bridge overlooking a small pond, Raphael tugged at his arm to pull them to a stop right there and Simon turned to look at him quizzically.

“I really enjoyed today,” he said with a gentle smile and for some reason Simon expected a ‘but’ to come after that, but Raphael kept smiling at him and just that.

“Me too,” Simon blurted realizing that he should probably say something and ducked his head for a moment before looking up through his lashes to see Raphael’s smile widen and if he wasn’t mistaken there was a blush on his smooth skin.

Raphael turned his head to look out over the park, still close to Simon, still holding his hand and his thumb was slowly caressing his skin with soft circles. He couldn’t help but use the opportunity to stare at the beautiful face in front of him as if he wanted to remember each and every detail. The strong curve of his jaw, the soft plump lips, and long eyelashes that if being close enough he could feel a brush against his own skin. His thick and defined eyebrows that could tell a whole story without a word being spoken and the fluffy looking curly hair held together with gel through which he wanted to run his fingers and mess up.

Simon didn’t even notice Raphael turning his gaze towards him until he looked at his eyes and they looked directly back at him. He felt like he got caught but his eyes kept him grounded that his mind didn’t start to guilt him for staring.

“You’re beautiful,” he whispered and inhaled sharply as he realized he said it out loud, his voice sounding almost reverently.

Raphael looked surprised for a moment before his head dipped and Simon was afraid. Afraid because of the way he sounded, as if he talked about a piece of art, but that’s what Raphael was. With his striking features and his clothes, he was like living art.

“Thank you,” Raphael whispered and he still wasn’t looking at Simon. If he wasn’t that focused on the other man he might have missed his words, but as it was he didn’t.

Feeling at a loss for words Simon squeezed the fingers laced with his in reply. It took a moment, but Raphael’s gaze turned to his once again and he moved so that they were face to face, a smile on his lips. His hand reached up, sliding along his chest and Simon could swear his heart stopped for a moment before starting up again at an increased beat. Raphael’s hand slid along the side of his neck while his eyes never moved away from his.

“Can I?” he asked in a whisper, eyes flickering down at his lips for a moment and Simon nodded in reply, not trusting his voice.

It took a moment longer before Raphael moved again as if he waited for Simon to change his mind. When he didn’t he bit his lip and used the hold on his hand to pull him slowly down as he seemed to reach up on his toes. Simon tried to keep his eyes open until he had to close them but the moment he felt being pulled down his eyes fluttered close and not long after he felt soft lips against his own.

The kiss was soft, chaste and so unbelievable sweet that he might have thought it was a figment of his imagination if it weren’t for the hand on his neck and the other pulling him down. Simon’s own free hand moved tentatively to just barely touch Raphael’s waist as their lips moved unbearably slow, letting him set the rhythm.

In the end, it was a group of kids playing and screaming somewhere in the distance that brought them back to reality. Raphael broke the kiss but didn’t move away and instead rested their foreheads together. Opening his eyes, Simon couldn’t see too much through his fogged up glasses but he could see that Raphael’s eyes were still closed.

“I liked that,” Simon whispered because he couldn’t not ruin the moment but the chuckle from the person he was almost holding in his arms drove away any nagging thoughts.

“I did too.” He received in reply and Raphael leaned back putting some space between their faces.

“Your glasses,” he said almost regretfully but laughed softly as they started to clear, leaving two circles for Simon to see through.

Simon smiled goofily at him. “The woes of wearing glasses,” he chuckled and having his glasses fog up would annoy him most times but when it made Raphael smile at him like that, he didn’t mind it very much.

“It’s cute,” he replied, “you’re cute.” Raphael bit his lip and Simon wondered if maybe he wasn’t the only one suffering from a lack of brain to mouth filter in that moment. So, he couldn’t help but lean down the short distance and peck him on the lips quickly, shooting him a pleased grin as he leaned back.

Raphael ducked his head for a moment, looking up at him through his lashes before starting to walk, pulling him along by their connected hands as darkness began to fall over New York City. Simon thought that even though he will most probably freak out before each date with this adorable man, he had a small inkling that maybe he wasn’t the only one.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope the texting format wasn't too annoying? I went through like a lot of different types until I decided on this one which seems the most like an actual phone screen, I guess? I also took waaaaaay too long to write this... damn. At fault is my lazy ass, my crappy state of mind and emotional lows... yeaaah. Anyway! I do hope you liked this?? I'm not from the US so I'm like hoping stuff isn't too weird logistically speaking? :)
> 
> ~ all mistakes are mine & I appreciate constructive criticism ~
> 
> Kudos are love and comments are cookies, the only ones I am allowed so don't let me starve! <3


End file.
